Suzanne Edds is living the dream. Eight years after she first put her hands into clay and began molding it into shapes and designs, she and her partner Gary Bell opened Liberty Tattoo and Art Parlor, where her studio resides and she curates a gallery space with exhibits by local and regional artists. “I feel like opening the shop is kind of a dream project,” she says. “I have flexibility in my schedule to take on other projects, work in the community and teach a bit.”

Edds’s designs can be found all over town — she and Bell also own Liberty Press, which transforms their art from 3-D ceramics into 2-D T-shirts, bags, etc. At the end of the day, though, it’s clay Edds loves the most. “I enjoy ceramics because of the versatility of the material,” she says. “The plasticity of the clay allows for a wide range of surfaces and textures.”